138 PORTUGUESE HISTORY OF MALACCA. 



row strait, and its most southern point is parted from 

 Java by one still narrower. Java is about 100 leagues 

 long by twelve in breadth. To the east of Sumatra is 

 the great island of Borneo, through which likewise the 

 equinoctial line passes, leaving two-thirds of the island on 

 the north side of the line. The maritime parts of Sumatra 

 are flat, but the interior is full of mountains, pervaded by 

 many large rivers, and covered by impenetrable woods which 

 even the rays of the sun are unable to pierce. Owing to these 

 circumstances Sumatra is very unhealthy, yet is much resorted 

 to for its rich and valuable productions, and particularly on 

 account of its abounding in gold ( * ) . Besides gold, it produces 

 white sandal- wood, benzoin, camphor, pepper, ginger, cinna- 

 mon, abundance of silk, and abounds in fish and cattle. It 

 has in one part a spring of petroleum or rock oil, and one of 

 its mountains is a volcano. The original natives of the island 

 are Pagans, but the Moors, who came there first as merchants, 

 have possessed themselves of the island as lords, ever since 

 the year 1400. Among the island tribes is one called Batas, 

 who are of most brutal manners, and even feed on human flesh. 

 The Moors, who dwell on the coast, use several languages, 

 but chiefly the Malay. Their weapons are poisoned arrows, 

 like those of the natives of Java, from whom they are descended, 

 but they likewise use fire-arms. 



This island is divided into nine kingdoms, of which Pedir 

 was once the chief; but now that of Pacem ( 2 ) or Pisang is the 

 most powerful, yet its kings only continue to reign so long 

 as it pleases the rabble. 



At this time Antonio de Brfto arrived at Pisang from 

 Acheen, where his brother George de Brito had been slain by 

 the Moors, with a great number of men, in a scandalous 

 attempt to rob the sepulchres of the kings of that country of 



( x ) Found chiefly in the districts of Limun, Batang Asei, and 

 Pangkalan Jambi, lying south of Korinchi, about tributaries of the 

 Jambi river. The gold is found in a yellow and sometimes red- 

 dish clay near a stratum of white crystals, quartz. 



( 2 ) Pasei. 



